Workshops

Speaking the truth in love when it matters most

Overview
Every leader eventually faces a conversation they’d rather avoid: a disagreement with a friend, a tough word for a teammate, or a moment where the stakes feel high and emotions run hot. This workshop gives students the tools to handle those moments with honesty and respect, instead of going silent or blowing up.

Students will learn to:

• Recognize when a conversation has become “crucial” and the stakes have risen
• Stay calm and clear-headed under pressure
• Speak up honestly without attacking or shutting others down
• Listen to understand, not just to respond
• Find shared purpose and common ground in a disagreement
• Move from conversation to agreed next steps

Faith foundation: “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)

What it looks like: Interactive teaching, real-life scenarios from school, home and youth group, and guided practice in pairs and small groups.

Best for: Student leaders, youth groups, and leadership teams navigating conflict or preparing to lead others.

Leading yourself well so you can lead others well

Overview
Great leadership starts on the inside. This workshop helps students understand their emotions, how those emotions shape their words and actions, and how to read and respond to the emotions of the people around them. These skills are the foundation of healthy relationships and trusted leadership.

Students will learn to:

• Name and understand their own emotions as they happen
• Recognize their personal triggers and patterns
• Manage their reactions instead of being managed by them
• Read the emotions and cues of others
• Respond with empathy and care
• Build stronger, healthier relationships with friends, family and teammates

Faith foundation: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19)

What it looks like: Self-reflection exercises, group discussion, and practical tools students can use the same day.

Best for: Any youth group or student leadership team, especially those wanting to grow in maturity and relational health.

Understanding what moves you and the people you lead

Overview
Why do we react the way we do under pressure? Why does one person need clear plans while another needs to be noticed and appreciated? This workshop helps students discover their own core motivations and what drives their behaviour under stress. They also learn to recognize the needs behind other people’s actions, so they can communicate with more understanding and lead people well.

Students will learn to:

• Identify their own driving needs and how they show up day to day
• Recognize how those needs shape their behaviour under stress
• Notice the needs behind other people’s words and actions
• Adjust their communication to connect with different people
• Reduce conflict by responding to the need, not just the behaviour
• Lead and serve others with greater understanding

Faith foundation: “Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:4)

What it looks like: A guided self-discovery exercise, interactive teaching, and group activities that put the concepts into practice.

Best for: Student leaders and teams who work closely together, or groups experiencing friction or miscommunication.

Discovering and leading from your God-given design

Overview
Too often, young people are told to fix their weaknesses. This workshop flips the script. Using Gallup’s CliftonStrengths, students identify their natural, God-given talents and learn to lead from their strengths. They also learn to value the different strengths of others and build teams where everyone contributes their best.

Students will learn to:

• Discover their top talent themes through the CliftonStrengths assessment
• Understand how their strengths show up in leadership, school and relationships
• Turn natural talents into intentional strengths
• Recognize the “blind spots” of their strengths
• Appreciate and draw out the strengths of others
• Build teams where different gifts work together

Faith foundation: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” (Romans 12:6)

What it looks like: Students complete the assessment before the workshop, then explore their results through teaching, reflection and team-building activities.

Best for: Student leadership teams, youth groups forming ministry teams, and students thinking about their future calling.

Putting first things first

Overview
Students today are pulled in every direction: school, sports, jobs, friends, family, church and screens. Based on Stephen Covey’s time management principles, this workshop helps students prioritize what’s truly important over what only feels urgent. They practise planning their time, balancing their commitments, and saying “no” so they can say “yes” to what matters most.

Students will learn to:

• Tell the difference between what’s urgent and what’s truly important
• Identify the “big rocks” in their lives and schedule them first
• Plan their week with purpose
• Balance school, faith, family and other commitments
• Say “no” with confidence and grace
• Reduce stress by taking control of their time

Faith foundation: “Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.” (Ephesians 5:15–16)

What it looks like: Practical teaching, hands-on planning exercises, and tools students can start using that week.

Best for: Busy student leaders, graduating students, and any youth group feeling stretched thin.

Building teams that work together toward a shared vision

Overview
No leader succeeds alone. This workshop helps students understand how great teams collaborate and communicate. Students see how their role fits within a shared vision, learn to work through differences, and discover how to move together toward a common goal.

Students will learn to:

• Understand and rally around a shared vision
• See how their role contributes to the whole team
• Communicate clearly and effectively as a team
• Work through differences and disagreements constructively
• Build trust and accountability with teammates
• Move together toward a common goal

Faith foundation: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12)

What it looks like: Team challenges, interactive teaching, and group debriefs that connect the experience to real ministry and leadership.

Best for: Student leadership teams, youth group leaders, and any group starting a new project or season together.

Leadership training shaped around your students

Overview
Every youth group is different. Maybe your student leaders are stepping into new roles, your team is working through a challenging season, or you’ve noticed a specific area where your students need to grow. Custom workshops let us work with you to design a session that fits your group, your goals and your timeline.

How it works:

• Connect: We start with a conversation to understand your students, your ministry and what you’re hoping to see happen.
• Design: We build a workshop around your needs. It can draw from our existing workshops, combine elements of several, or focus on a new topic.
• Deliver: We come to your church with everything prepared, so you can simply be present with your students.
• Follow up: We’ll leave you with ideas and next steps to keep the growth going after we leave.

Examples of what we can build:

• A training day for a new student leadership team
• A combined session drawing from Emotional Intelligence and Crucial Conversations for a team working through conflict
• A retreat or weekend intensive built around your theme
• A workshop series spread across several weeks
• A session on a specific leadership topic your students are facing

Faith foundation: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

What it looks like: Anywhere from a 90-minute session to a full day or weekend, depending on what you need.

Best for: Churches with a specific goal, season or challenge in mind, or groups who’d like to go deeper than a single standard workshop.

Interested? Email us at ylc@baptist.ca to start the conversation.